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Open Book Blog Hop – Behind the Scenes

This week on the Open Book Blog Hop I’m taking you behind the scenes so that you can find out how the writing game gets done in my world.

Writing blogs, short stories and novels now does not take up all my time as it once did. As much as I loathe marketing I realised about a year and a half ago that I needed to devote more time to that old chestnut ‘The author platform’. Building aforesaid platform involves checking and commenting on various social media several times per day, along with entering writing contests, seeking reviewers, putting samples of writing up on suitable websites, working on my monthly newsletter, contacting publishers, and replying to comments made on my blogs. All this and making sure I do enough exercise takes up most of my mornings, although I do try and find time for creative writing in the afternoons. I am working on a collection of short stories at the moment, and have also entered some of the stories into competitions.

Last week I took the plunge and signed a contract for my latest manuscript ‘Repent at Leisure’ with Creativia Publishing after the agent from Foyles’ Discovery Day decided that unfortunately the book ‘didn’t fit his list’. I have been busy tweaking the manuscript and researching Creativia, which has a great street team for marketing, and have received a good report about the company from one author friend who is already signed up. The owner also replies to emails very quickly, which is all good as far as I’m concerned. I now look forward to a fruitful partnership. One of my other books ‘A House Without Windows’ is now being translated into German after I found a lovely lady in the Translators’ Café website, and hope to research further translators in the future.

As you can see, there is more to the writing game than me sitting at my desk thinking up stories. Here are my 2 desks where it all gets done…..

However, slowly but surely the need to build up my author platform is getting in the way of writing, but I can’t complain; it’s much better than toiling away at my old job as a medical secretary!

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14 thoughts on “Open Book Blog Hop – Behind the Scenes”

Your day sounds very similar to mine – even down to the finding time for exercise. It’s a balancing act, isn’t it? I must admit I sometimes resent the time spent on marketing/networking but like you say it’s necessary. All best for the new book.